Coordinates
by jadenanne7
Summary: Red's many explanations for one particular tattoo. One-shot!


This one-shot is dedicated to jackandsamforever, who so very kindly let me blackmail her into updating the story that I wanted updated. You are awesome!

Please read and review!

I own nothing!

Elizabeth didn't know why she had waited until now to visit Red in the hospital. He was being discharged after a week of recovering from a minor gunshot wound, and she had told herself over and over that it was okay to leave him be, but in her heart she knew it was wrong. He would have been right there had she been injured, and no matter how far away he was, he never would have let a week pass without seeing her.

Dembe stood outside of the room, ever-diligent, his eyes scanning the hall for the first sign of trouble. The staff went out of their way to ignore his presence and tried to conceal the fact that he made them nervous. If the patient he guarded was dangerous or important enough to warrant a bodyguard, then they didn't want him in their hospital, bringing the danger right along with him.

"Dembe."

"Agent Keen."

Elizabeth sighed. So it was this again? After Tom had disappeared from her life, Red and Dembe were really her only constants. There was hardly a day when they weren't looking in on her or inviting her to eat with them at some exotic restaurant. They had evolved into something more than colleagues. They were more like friends. Even so, it took months for her to get Dembe to call her Liz and it seemed as though they were back to square one.

"I know I should have been here sooner, but I'm here now, so could you please let me in?"

Dembe crossed his arms tighter over his chest, but stood to the side and let her pass. The hospital room was a small one, but it was situated in a corner and had plenty of privacy. Perfect for Red, who was in the middle of getting dressed when Elizabeth walked in.

"You're lucky I started with my trousers, Lizzie. Otherwise, you would have gotten a show. And my shows aren't free."

Elizabeth ignored his biting tone and concentrated on his bare upper body. He looked even more formidable without his dress shirt and vest, if that were even possible. His arms were strong and his chest held a light smattering of hair, and it seemed that there wasn't a section of his body that didn't have a tattoo on it. She had heard that he had tattoos, but she had never been able to visualize what they would look like on him. Not that she had been picturing him naked or anything. Well… not intentionally.

"Are you finished, or can I put my shirt on?"

"I'm not finished."

Red cocked his head in disbelief.

"Excuse me?"

Elizabeth stepped closer to him to get a closer look.

"I said I'm not finished."

Red tensed but did not make a move to put his shirt on. Elizabeth stepped even closer and traced the tattoo on his right bicep with her fingers. It made no sense to her, a spider crawling up a small spade. But then, what was there about Red that made sense? He shivered under her touch and she took her fingers away. She reminded herself to observe, not to touch. There was an anchor peeking out from under his trousers. That was self-explanatory. No need to investigate any further. On the other side of his abdomen there was a bird with its wings spread. She approved whole-heartedly of this particular tattoo. Sam had one just like it. One day she would work up the nerve to ask about that coincidence. Today, she really wanted to know about the small numbers tattooed across his heart.

"39.2833 degrees North, 76.6167 degrees West. What does that mean?"

Red sat himself on the small hospital bed and looked up at her.

"They're coordinates, my dear. Latitude and longitude."

Smart-ass. Elizabeth shook her head in frustration.

"I know that. What I meant was, where do those coordinates lead to?"

Red considered her for a moment, his eyes sweeping across her face like he was trying to memorize it.

"Nowhere. They are coordinates to nowhere."

"Red…"

"Fine. It's an old navy tradition. A bit morbid, actually. When a comrade dies on duty, his best friend tattoos the coordinates of where the comrade was interred on a place of prominence."

Elizabeth swallowed hard. She didn't know if she could handle the heaviness of what she was about to ask.

"Who was your comrade?"

The tension in the air was thick, and Elizabeth regretted the question as soon as it came out of her mouth. She tried to back up out of Red's personal space, to leave the room altogether, but he grabbed her wrist and held on tight.

"His name was David. Dave. He was my roommate on the ship, and one of the finest men I've ever had the pleasure to know. There wasn't anybody in the world like him. He was selfless and kind and extremely brave. The type of man who would run into a burning building to rescue a kitten. I've almost come to the conclusion that there aren't those types of people in the world anymore."

This story was not going anywhere nice, and Elizabeth desperately wanted to leave, but Red gripped her wrist even tighter when he felt her inching away.

"The day he died was one of the worst days of my life."

Elizabeth trembled under his gaze.

"How did Dave die?"

"He drowned."

A strangled sob left Elizabeth's throat. She knew nothing about his man that Red spoke so highly of, but she mourned him just the same. What a man he must have been, to have made such an impact on Red.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I never had a friend named Dave."

She punched his shoulder hard with her free hand, but it was like punching a wall.

"Jerk! That is not funny!"

Red shrugged.

"It wasn't meant to be. It was meant to shut you up about my tattoo. I didn't think it would make you cry."

"You are a complete jackass!"

"And you deserved it. It's been a week, Lizzie. A week."

Red let go of her wrist and she grabbed his hand and held it in both of hers.

"I'm so sorry I didn't come sooner. I just couldn't. You may think I don't care but I do care… and what makes it so bad is that it's my fault that you're in here in the first place!"

Words came out in gasping sobs and she was pulled into Red's arms and crushed against his bare chest. She could feel his chest rumble in her ear when he spoke, and it was strangely comforting.

"It's not your fault, Lizzie."

"Yes it is! You told me to stand down and I wouldn't listen. I just kept on going and you had to step in and protect me. It's all my fault."

His heart beat fast beneath her cheek and she hoped she could catch it when it flew out of his chest.

"Lizzie, the longer you are around me, the more you will realize that quite a number of people want to shoot me. I promise you, it didn't matter if you stood stock-still or charged the guy; he was still going to try to shoot me. And protecting you is my privilege, something that I will never stop doing. Do you believe me?"

Elizabeth nodded and angled her face up to look at him.

"I couldn't come. I couldn't see you like that. You're supposed to be invincible, and I don't like being reminded that you're human just like the rest of us."

Red laughed and it was glorious.

"I am not invincible, Lizzie. Flattered, but not invincible. Though I do bounce back rather quickly"

He hugged her tight and buried his face in her hair.

"Would've been even quicker if you were here…"

"Red!"

"I'm joking, Lizzie. Lighten up."

He pulled back to arms length and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, staring intently into her eyes.

"Now, Lizzie… in all seriousness… I have a question to ask you."

"Yes?"

"May I put my shirt on now?"

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Elizabeth felt bad about barging in on Red without so much as knocking, but Ressler didn't share the same qualms, so in they went. She struggled to keep up with her partner, whose strides were much longer than hers. Her short legs would be the death of her. She reached the living room moments after he did, and they stared in shock at the sight before them. Raymond Reddington lay sprawled out face-down on a table, motionless…silent…getting a massage.

"I smell… Chanel and Old Spice. I'm guessing Lizzie and Donald. Did I get it right?"

Red lifted his head from the pillow and grinned widely at the pair.

"Damn, I'm good."

He sat up on the table, barely trying to cover himself with the towel. Something seemed to snap inside Ressler, who wasted no time in verbally attacking Red. Elizabeth didn't try to stop him. He had to learn on his own…

"You know, instead of lying around and doing nothing, you could be helping us catch this asshole. That is… if you even want us to catch him. Everything you've given us has lead to a dead end. If you had even the smallest sense of morality…"

Red cut him off sharply with one hand and took the masseuse's hand in the other. She was blonde and busty and Elizabeth doubted she knew the first thing about massage therapy. Elizabeth looked away from her before the venom could register in her eyes. It wouldn't do for Red to have anything to hold over her head, such as petty jealousy over a pretty woman.

"Vivi, darling, as much as I was enjoying this, we're going to have to take a short break. My friends and I have some things to discuss and I don't want to bore you with business talk."

The woman was obviously disappointed, but she nodded her head.

"I'll just wait in the kitchen."

She walked through the door leading toward the kitchen. Like she knew from experience where it was.

"Next time Donald, do think twice about running your mouth in front of people who have no business knowing about our business. If I'd have let you continue I would have had to kill her, and that would have been a damn shame. Vivi is a very…talented…masseuse."

Elizabeth couldn't stand to listen to Red's innuendo any longer.

"Cut it out, Red. Give us something we can use and we'll get out of your hair, and you can go back to your…massage."

He could see straight through her professional façade and right to the jealousy that had settled in the pit of her stomach. She was sure of it. She was even surer of it when he winked at her before turning his attention back to Ressler.

"I shouldn't reward the rudeness you have displayed here today, but I would like to get back to my massage and that's not happening until you leave. I'll put in a call tonight and see what I can get you. I'll contact Lizzie with any information I can dig up."

Ressler put his hands on his hips like he was Superman, fresh off of leaping the tallest building. Like he had talked Red into doing something that he wasn't going to do anyway. Elizabeth rolled her eyes in disgust.

"I guess that'll work."

Red nodded his head once, an obvious dismissal. Ressler didn't catch the hint.

"So…."

He could be so awkward at times. Something about Red seemed to catch his eye, and he pointed his pinky toward Red's chest.

"What is that?"

Oh no. Elizabeth really didn't have the time or the energy for this. She tugged on Ressler's sleeve.

"Haven't you ever seen a tattoo? Come on… let's get out of here. It's getting late and I'm hungry."

Ressler would not be moved.

"Coordinates, right? What does it mean?"

Elizabeth considered simply walking out, but she had ridden with Ressler and he had the keys. She wondered how long it would take her to walk home…

Red stood up and grabbed his pants, gesturing for Elizabeth to turn around. She complied readily.

"It's a reminder. A man tried to kill me once. I walked away unscathed, but I've never forgiven, nor have I forgotten. One day I will take this man back to the place where he tried to end my life, back to these coordinates, and I will kill him there."

Ressler should have left well enough alone.

"Where is that place?"

Elizabeth turned around to see Red staring intently, almost murderously at Ressler.

"Brussels."

Ressler looked like he was going to be sick.

"I just remembered… Meera wanted me to stop by the office and help her with something. Come on, Liz."

"I can find my own way home. I need to talk to Red. Alone."

Elizabeth could barely see the smirk on Red's face, but it was there.

"Good. I'll see you in the morning."

Ressler was out of the door in a flash. Elizabeth turned toward Red, who was grinning freely while pulling on his dress shirt.

"Did you really have to do that?"

Red's fingers moved slowly over the buttons of his shirt, almost as if he didn't really want to put it back on.

"I probably didn't have to. I definitely wanted to. Besides, I can't have him thinking I actually like him."

Almost of their own volition, Elizabeth's hands reached up brushed his aside, taking over the tedious task of buttoning his shirt.

"But you DO like him. I know you do."

"Yes, but he doesn't need to know that."

The room seemed almost too quiet as she finished her task. Red quickly rectified that.

"I don't know why I'm bothering with a shirt… I haven't finished my massage yet."

Elizabeth smoothed his collar down and frowned.

"You're done with your massage."

"I'm not done until I've got what I paid f…"

Red froze as Elizabeth tugged on his trousers and tucked the front of his shirt into them, her eyes staring defiantly into his.

"Red, you're done with your massage."

He swallowed hard.

"You're right. I'm done."

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Their first time was frenzied and passionate and a complete surprise to both of them. It had started with an argument, and ended up with them on the bed in his hotel room, their clothes and the blankets that he insisted on having instead of a comforter strewn across the floor.

He pushed into her over and over again, his hands tangled in her hair while her hands clawed desperately at his back. Elizabeth hated him in that moment, hated him for making her feel like she needed him, for making her feel desperate. She loved him for it too. She couldn't win. Red quickly pushed her over the edge and then fell right along with her. It was intense and she struggled to catch her breath while he collapsed at her side.

It was done. It was done and they couldn't take it back. Elizabeth didn't want to take it back. She wanted to do it again and again until she couldn't remember why she was angry with him to begin with. She thought about making a move, initiating a second round, but Red's silence unnerved her. What if he just acted in the heat of the moment and wasn't interested in anything more than that one time? Well Elizabeth wasn't going to wait for him to tell her so. She made to move from the bed, but Red's hand on hers held her back. His fingers stroked the back of her hand for what felt like forever before he finally spoke.

"I wanted to do this right… to do this better. I'm sorry."

What was right? Elizabeth thought that they had done it very well the first time. She turned to face him and smiled wickedly.

"Well do it right."

That was all it took. Red moved on top of her again, slowly this time, placing an almost chaste kiss on her lips.

"You are so beautiful."

And she felt beautiful. Red always made her feel beautiful. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a deeper kiss, laughing when he suddenly flipped them over so that she was on top.

"Really, Red?"

Red's mischievous grin was infectious.

"I'm not a young man anymore, Lizzie. Gotta have time to wind back up. And while I'm winding up, I want to look at you."

Elizabeth flushed from head to toe. It was ridiculous really… he had already seen her naked body… but now he was STUDYING it. Memorizing every line… every curve… every little imperfection…

"It's not polite to stare. Stop it."

She tried to un-straddle his waist, but he held her thighs firmly and continued his investigation. Deciding that it was really too ridiculous to be embarrassed, she turned her attention toward Red's upper body. Elizabeth had seen it several times, but never this close. Now that she could see it clearly, she realized that there were several things she had missed. He had a few freckles here and there that were mostly hidden by his graying chest hair. Elizabeth ran her fingers through it and found that it wasn't coarse like she had expected. It was soft and felt good beneath her hands. She also realized that his chest was spattered with scars, the larger ones covered by his seemingly random tattoos. It shouldn't have been surprising to her. It was dangerous being him, and he wasn't going to walk away without a few marks. Finally, her attention was drawn to the coordinates tattooed over his heart. She traced the numbers with her fingertips and before she could stop herself, she leaned over and kissed it.

"Why did you do that?"

Red was no longer engrossed in her naked body. He was now focused entirely on her face. Elizabeth shook her head, trying to avoid his gaze.

"I don't know."

Her eyes caught his again and she shivered.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was freezing in here. Guess that's what happens when you're having hot sex."

Elizabeth appreciated Red's attempt to diffuse to the tension, but she could barely manage a smile in response. He removed her from on top of him and got up to find the blanket that had made its way down to the floor. Even though she was a bit embarrassed at the situation that she had created for herself, she couldn't help but admire the rest of his body. He looked good naked, and the bastard knew it. He caught her gaze and smirked, crawling back on the bed and bringing the blanket up over the both of them. She went into his arms readily and rubbed her limbs over his in an attempt to get warm, yelping when his feet touched hers.

"Your feet are freezing!"

He laughed into her hair.

"Warm them up."

She snuggled against his chest, content to stay there indefinitely, and was rewarded with an eye-level view of his tattoo.

"Do you really want to know?"

Red's voice startled Elizabeth and she realized that he had been watching her stare intently at the coordinates tattooed across his heart.

"If you want to tell me, I want to know."

And she did want to know…desperately.

"Baltimore, Maryland. The coordinates are to Baltimore."

Baltimore. That was not what she had expected.

"What's in Baltimore?"

Red's face was unreadable.

"It's not a what. It's a where. It's where my daughter was born."

Tears clouded Elizabeth's eyes, but she held them in. She didn't have the right to cry. The only person allowed to cry over this was Red, and he wasn't going to do that.

"I like having a constant reminder of her. No matter where I am or what I'm doing, she's always with me."

Elizabeth understood that. She carried Sam's photo everywhere, and hardly a day went by when she didn't pull it out and look at it.

"Why not her name? Or her birthday?"

Red shrugged.

"This just felt right."

The room fell into silence, and Elizabeth traced the numbers on his chest over and over again with her fingertips until she heard his breathing start to even out. He must have been exhausted to fall asleep before she did.

"Red?"

"Hmmmm?"

His eyes remained closed as he answered her.

"Do you mind if we just sleep tonight? I'm exhausted. You wore me out."

Red pulled her tighter against him and mumbled in agreement. Elizabeth smiled at his completely relaxed face. He deserved a moment of peace. She continued to trace his tattoo until she started to fall asleep. Maybe she deserved a moment of peace too.


End file.
